Pune court grants anticipatory bail to IAS-PO Puja Khedkar's father Dilip Khedkar

Dilip Khedkar, father of controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, was on Friday, 26 July granted anticipatory bail by a sessions court in Pune in a case pertaining to farmers being threatened with a gun in a land dispute.

Manorama Khedkar, the probationary IAS officer's mother, has been arrested in the case, which was registered after a video went viral showing her waving gun while engaged in an argument.

Dilip and Manorama were booked along with five others by Paud police under Indian Penal Code sections 307 (attempt to murder), 144 (unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon), 147 (rioting) and 506 (criminal intimidation) as well as provisions of the Arms Act.

Advocate Sudhir Shah said the the court, in its order, stated the charge of attempt to murder was levelled against Manorama Khedkar and not Dilip Khedkar.

The offences against Dilip Khedkar are bailable in nature, he said.

Additional sessions judge A N Mare allowed the bail application with conditions that Dilip Khedkar shall not contact witnesses in the case, would not try to influence them and would cooperate with the investigating agency, advocate Shah said.